Thursday, December 15, 2005

Detroit's top elections official said Wednesday she is concerned that people may have sold votes on the eve of the city's Nov. 8 election, and said she may ask the Wayne County prosecutor to investigate....Sexton, 55, said he noticed that members of a political group -- the Eastside Community Slate -- had brought voters to the election headquarters with what he later heard was an arrangement to hire them as poll workers the next day. Sexton said it looked like they were being paid to cast ballots for the slate's candidates.

Sexton told police and the Free Press he overheard two voters discussing what he believed were plans to collect money for their votes.

"It's a hundred, right?" Sexton described one man as saying to another in line. Sexton said the other man replied, "No, it's $75, and I will be the first one here at 5:30 to collect."

Sexton said the Eastside Slate worker made "a beeline" to voters as they left the elections building and asked them: "Now you voted my ballot, right? You voted my slate?"

They answered yes, Sexton said, and the slate worker collected slips of paper indicating that each person had voted.

It will be interesting to see if this is investigated or not, as the police report of the incident currently says "Disposition: Not a crime"

Perhaps next time the Eastside Slate, like Caesar's wife, should act in a way above suspicion, as this set of events IS suspicious.